22.58°C Vancouver

Jul 29, 2020 6:15 PM -

Vancouver resident finds lost teddy bear containing her mother's voice recording

Share On

Mara Soriano says her knees buckled as a two Good Samaritans handed her a bag containing a brown teddy bear in a red-and-white dress and white jacket.

For the past four days Soriano has walked up and down Vancouver alleyways, looked under dumpsters, put up posters and responded to every email and tweet that she thought could lead her back to a teddy bear that carried her late mother's voice.

Last night she sobbed with joy when she was reunited with the bear.

The bear was stolen while she was moving to a new apartment on Friday, and Soriano put out a call for it on social media that soon went viral. Celebrities including Ryan Reynolds and George Stroumboulopoulos each promised rewards for its return.

Marilyn Soriano was diagnosed with cancer about 10 years ago when Mara was 18 and died last June.

She gave her daughter the bear in December 2017.

It was put together at Build-A-Bear and featured glasses and a jacket like the ones she used to wear.

Soriano says she got an email last night from someone who said they had the bear and wanted to return it to her and met up with two people at a safe location.

She says the bear is in perfect condition.

When she gets married next summer, Soriano says the bear will have a special seat at the front where her mom would have been.

But for the next few days, she's going to carry the bear around and planned to go to sleep with it last night.


Latest news

canadas-dabrowski-and-partner-routliffe-win-u-s-open-womens-doubles-title
EnglishSep 05, 2025

Canada's Dabrowski and partner Routliffe win U.S. Open women's doubles title

Canadian tennis player Gabriela Dabrowski has won the US Open Grand Slam title with her New Zealand partner Erin Rutliff. The Canadian player won the women's doubles title in straight sets with her partner. Together, the two defeated the pair of Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova 6-4, 6-4. Earlier, Gabriela Dabrowski also won the US Open title in 2023. Pawan Sahni, of Newton Tennis Club in Surrey, says “the win is a boost for Canadian tennis.” He added, on one hand, just a few weeks ago, young player Victoria Mboko won the Canadian Open title, and now, with Canada's senior player win
BCSep 05, 2025

Coquihalla Highway reopened following wildfire closure

The Coquihalla Highway (Highway 5) between Hope and Merritt has reopened in both directions following a closure caused by the Mine Creek wildfire. Due to the proximity of the fire, drivers should be prepared for the Coquihalla Highway to be closed with minimal notice. Drivers are advised to not stop in the fire zone. Intermittent lane closures can be expected as crews continue to assess and repair roadside damage, and visibility is reduced due to wildfire smoke. Drivers should also be prepared for an increased risk of wildlife presence due to fire damage to wildlife-exclusion fencing on this s
police-investigate-early-morning-shots-fired-in-south-surrey
CanadaSep 05, 2025

Police Investigate Early Morning Shots Fired in South Surrey

Surrey Police Service (SPS) is investigating an early morning shooting that occurred in South Surrey. On September 5, 2025, at approximately 3:50 am, SPS responded to reports of shots fired in the 14300 block of 28 Avenue, Surrey. Upon arrival, members located numerous shell casings on 28 Avenue. It does not appear that any residences were damaged and nobody was injured. SPS Frontline Investigation Support (FLIS) Team are attending and have taken conduct of the investigation. Investigators believe this incident is related to an ongoing extortion investigation.
ministers-statement-on-the-cowichan-valley-transit-labour-dispute
BCSep 05, 2025

Special mediator appointed to resolve Cowichan Valley transit labour dispute

Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Labour, has issued the following statement on the Cowichan Valley transit labour dispute: “This strike has been deeply disruptive to people living in the Cowichan Valley, who rely on transit to get to work, go to school, attend medical appointments and access everyday services. “This dispute has gone on for far too long. There’s a real urgency for the parties to get back to the table, find a fair resolution and get transit services back on the road. “To help the parties resolve the ongoing labour dispute, I have appointed Vince Ready as a special mediato
elon-musks-neuralink-brain-chip-implanted-into-two-quadriplegic-canadian-patients
CanadaSep 05, 2025

Elon Musk's Neuralink brain chip implanted into two quadriplegic Canadian patients

Two Canadian patients with spinal cord injuries have received Neuralink brain implants that have allowed them to control a computer with their thoughts. They are part of the first clinical trial outside of the United States to test the safety and effectiveness of Elon Musk's Neuralink wireless brain chip, which he introduced to the public in 2020, and was first implanted in a paralyzed American in 2024. The Canadian men, both around 30 years old – one from Ontario, the other from Alberta – have limited or no ability to use their hands. Dr. Andres Lozano, a neurosurgeon at University Health

Related News